Candidate Dave Crooks Speaks During Owen County JJ Dinner

by Donna Hardy

SEW Correspondent

Speaking at the annual Owen County Democratic Party’s Jefferson Jackson Dinner Saturday evening was Dave Crooks, candidate for Congress in the eighth district. (Photo by Donna Hardy) There was a packed house at the IGA (In God’s Arms) building in Spencer Saturday evening as Owen County Democrats turned out for the annual Jefferson-Jackson Dinner.

With the 2012 Primary Election just around the corner, a number of local candidates were present to request the support of their fellow Owen County residents. Each candidate, both on the state and local levels, were given an opportunity to speak.

Also present was Justin Oakley, who is the Democrat candidate for Superintendent of Public Instruction. He talked about the importance of the public education system and the teachers who are instructing our children. “Our students are more than test scores and the assault on teachers has to end right now,” he explains on his website, www.oakley2012.org.

Owen County Democrat Party Chairman Anton Neff is shown above as he introduced candidates during Saturday’s Jefferson- Jackson Dinner held in the Spencer United Methodist Church’s In God’s Arms building in Spencer. (Photo by Donna Hardy) The highlight of the evening came with the introduction by Owen County Democrat Party Chairman Anton Neff of guest speaker Dave Crooks.

Crooks was born and raised in Sullivan County. He began a career in radio broadcasting at the age of 17. He worked at a number of radio stations in the southwestern part of the state before making the decision to start his own business. He now owns and operates three stations.

In 1996, Crooks was elected as a state representative. He explained Saturday evening that one thing he is proud of is that he was always willing to work with both political sides, representing the interests of the people he worked for. “My expertise…is, I don’t mind working with the other side,” he said.

With a desire to spend more time with his family, Crooks retired from the Indiana General Assembly in 2008. He and his wife, Shelley, live in Washington, Indiana with their three children, Mackenzie, Jared, and Jacob.

In the introduction Neff gave, he explained that Crooks is definitely the right person for the job. Neff explained we need someone who has a proven record, who has common sense, who relates to the people of the eighth district, and who has experience. “He’s got all the bases covered,” Neff said of Crooks.

There are several things that need to happen in the future, Crooks explained. Spending needs to be cut in Washington, he said, “But we’ve got to do it the right way.”

Crooks also said that money cannot keep getting cut for education and other things and that they can’t keep cutting taxes for corporations that keep moving their business overseas. He explained that multimillionaires should be paying more, adding that they might be creating jobs but those jobs are not here in America where they should be.

As Crooks ended, he said, “I’m proud that I’m a Democrat. I’m proud that Democrats stand up for working class families.”

Before concluding the event, Neff explained that registered voters can vote absentee in the Owen County Clerk’s Office Monday through Friday this week from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. They can also vote Saturday, May 5 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Primary Election is Tuesday, May 8, with the polls open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Information about the election, including candidate information and sample ballots, can be found on the Owen County Democrat website at www.owendemocrats.org. The Democrat headquarters will be open on election day.